Saturday Flashback: Eyþór Ingi – Ég Á Líf

“It’s a builder, so bear with it.”

Tim: I was in ICELAND last weekend, and it was BRILLIANT, and here’s their 2013 Eurovision entry. Word of warning: first time I heard this, I was phenomenally bored for the first ninety seconds, but it’s a builder, so bear with it.

Tom: Crikey, you’re not wrong about it being a builder. That takes a long while to get going. And he says that title a lot.

Tim: So, 2013 was my first live Eurovision, and I was in the audience for the second semi-final when he was singing this, and right up until then I didn’t think much of the song. Too slow, got there in the end but way too late. Afterwards, though, this was the single performance that really stuck with me, and I remember playing the song pretty much on repeat for the next few days.

Tom: Huh. I’ve got to ask: why? There may not be a clear answer to that, of course, sometimes songs just stick with you, particularly when there’s a strong memory associated with them.

Tim: Because yes, it’s a very slow builder indeed, but by the time the second chorus rolls around it’s become worth listening to, and I’m paying attention. Then you’ve got his massive note in the middle eight, using that camera action and the light behind him to make him look vaguely messianic, inspiring the continent to get up and wave their phone flashlights in the air. After that, of course, comes the key change, which may be predictable, but we’ve that and every other trick going to get a big “wow” moment that can be used in all the recaps when the voting starts, and it’s just…right.

Tom: And it stuck with you?

Tim: And yeah, it stuck with me. It’s nice.